Reviews by chanokokoro:

A: Pours jet black with a half finger beige head that dissipates quickly to form a small foam ring that borders the glass

S: Not surprisingly a strong bourbon aroma mixed with vanilla and oak. Light notes of toffee and caramel are present as well

T: Bourbon initially transitioning almost immediately and smoothly to vanilla oaky maltiness that finishing with a wave of bourbon warmth.

M: Silky syrup that coats the mouth with little carbonation present. The warmth from the abundant alchohol is ever-present.

O: Really fantastic. A true treat and a must-try for any fan of barrel-aged imperial stouts. The sweetness of this variety of BCBS will most likely limit the amount one can have in a single sitting (not to mention the 13% abv).

T: OMFG. Have you even had BCBS? I want you to take that incredible flavor you know and love, but you know that kind of sweet imbalance that happens at the end of regular, fresh BCBS? I want you to imagine pillow-y vanilla/marshmallow flavors picking you up, balancing everything out, and carrying you off into vanilla Wonderland.

M: Thick, chewy, ridiculous. Everything you love about Bourbon County, and everything that makes you wonder "how do they make a beer taste and feel like this?"

O: I never thought I would have this beer, and between the two DC events, I had almost a full 22oz bottle to myself. I couldn't stop ordering it. This is the best beer I've ever had. Bar none. I've had every single BCBS variant, including Rare. This blows them all away. I hope I get to have it again someday.

I don't want to be that guy, but seriously: give up on trying to find a bottle of Rare for yourself and track this down. I had King Henry alongside this beer, and it made KH taste thin and diminished its bourbon flavors. In fact, there were four of us, and everyone agreed: better than Rare, better than KH, better than Bramble/Cherry Rye/Coffee. Unbelievable, 5/5, my only perfect review.

At a Bourbon County tasting, this was my favorite of the bunch, including Rare. This beer is very much Bourbon County, but with a smooth flavor. What vanilla does is it adds some sweetness and rounding flavor, which in generally compliments the beer instead of being a prominent flavor.

On the finish, you push towards a vanilla sweetness. The beer is still drinking extremely well.

Appearance: Dark black, opaque. Ample head with good retention. It looked creamy when poured into the glass. It caused anticipation to build for the first smell/taste. It’s one of those beers where you can just tell it’s going to be good just from the appearance.

Smell: Rich malts, chocolate, dark fruits, bourbon, and alcohol with the vanilla shining through. At 13+% ABV you can’t hide the alcohol but there is a host of fragrances that come through. The anticipation builds. It is a VERY inviting brew.

Taste: BINGO!!! Game over! The Holy Grail has been found! WOW!! This did not disappoint, in fact it exceeded all I’ve heard about it. You taste alcohol but not overpowering. There is sweetness but not cloying so. A perfect balance IMHO. This beer does it for me. The bottle was removed from the fridge and allowed to warm for an hour before tasting. This allowed the vanilla to really stand out.

Mouthfeel: Creamy coating that lasts throughout. Just adds to the pleasure.

Overall: As I said, GAME OVER!! It has been found. It’s #1 in its class so far. I haven’t given a perfect 5.0 rating to anything because I figure I haven’t found it yet and don’t know what’s around the corner, but this is as close to perfection that I have found so far. Do yourself a favor; if you like stouts… seek this beer out. You won’t be disappointed.

NOTE: I've only had this one bottle of Vanilla but it's still there and not breaking down. I've had the regular black label, the coffee (2 or 3 years), the Backyard Rye, Proprietor's, and Rare but this one is a personal favorite of mine. Even more so than the Rare.

I woke up today with a dry throat. The damn ceiling fan, which I rely on to block out noise and keep me cool, had attacked me by confiscating all signs of moisture in my entire respiratory system overnight. I was thirsty. But I had no clue how much my thirst was about to be quenched.

Fast forward 4-5 hours to the first session of the 2nd Annual Winking Lizard cask conditioned beer festival. I check in and get a program which outlines the beers available. I check over the list to see a bunch of familiar names, some extra special treats, and the very last entry:

Goose Island Vanilla Bourbon County

This was the first beer I had today. It was the last beer I had today. It was the best beer I've had in a long time. Overall, I'd say I had 22oz or so, and, let me tell you, this beer delivers.

Appears a magnificent black, the kind of black the Rolling Stones sang about painting things. No head whatsoever, and a ton of alcohol sticks to the side of the glass when I swish.

Taste is perfect. A strange combo of coconut, vanilla bean, oak, bourbon, chocolate and caramel tastes more defined and well balanced than any desert I've had. This is exceptional in terms of its depth, extreme flavor, and ability to define different elements in unique flavor spikes along the journey. Honestly, one of the best beers I've ever had.

Mouthfeel is thin, but this may be a result of the cask feel. The carb isn't an issue, appropriate for the serving type.

Drinkability is well above many in the field. Strong? Sure, but this is a magnificent example of when imperial flavor is necessary to achieve such a magnificent result. Kev and John at the Lizard, you have outdone yourselves this year. This was just fantastic, and I want to thank you for a wonderful event and a new top 20 beer for me.

Tonight, I will sleep with the fan on. And it can't do a thing to make me uncomfortable. Try as it might, it shall not rob me of this - my thirst has been quenched for a while.

Black as the pitch with a nicely tinged malty top, it beckons. Head retention--albeit thin--is most impressive. Nose is warm bourbon. I sense alcohol over vanilla. I must admit that's disappointing.

It tastes strong, but smooth. It's warm like a soup. Sip after sip, that thin heady veil stays constant. The taste is really secondary to how this thing feels. I can't really taste vanilla in a bean or extract sort of way, but I feel a creamy, alluring slickness that transports an ever so sweet alcohol burn all over my cheek linings. Gum-smacking post-sip gets a little of that vanillaness!

I wasn't too big a fan of the normal Bourbon County Brand, in large part because of how big, bad, and bourbony it is. I thought the Coffee was oh-so-appropriate to make it a two-pronged sharpness, and this Vanilla really turns everything into a sweet, silky sting. Good strong stout + bid bad bourbon; thrown in a slew of quality vanilla beans and I feel all warm and fuzzy.

The beer pours a black color with a tan head. The aroma is heavy on the vanilla with a lot of roasted malt and chocolate notes also coming through. Overall, the beer smells very nice.

The flavor is just as good and maybe even a little bit better. I get a lot of vanilla as the primary flavor, but the chocolate compliments the vanilla very well. There is also the roasted malt and a little bit of oak in the flavor.

Thick mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Overall, not as good as the coffee, which is one of my favorite beers of all time, but I enjoyed it more than the Rare and the regular BCS.